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Canelo and Lara Talk Showdown on “All Access”
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Canelo Alvarez stands on the ultra-short list of guys who can take the reins, in a revenue sense, from the boxing moneymakers who are getting up there in years. The Mexican, who turned pro at age 15, when most kids are still trying to master which brand of zit creme works best on their face, is 23, and will be up against two tests on Saturday night, in Las Vegas. First, his in-ring foe, Erislandy Lara. The Cuban escapee bills himself as “The American Dream,” because he’s so pleased to be living in a land where his talents can be fully utilized and exploited for money and stability for him and his family. He says he’s one of the three best pound for pound boxers in the world, and on any given night, he shows skills which can make that claim not seem ludicrous.
Also, another test will not really be clearly graded pass or fail on Monday, and thereafter; can Canelo be a pay-per-view stud, which he’s being built to be, and generate buy rates which could make him the wealthiest hitter on the planet, after Floyd Mayweather, if his momentum continues. That’s no small if, being that the sports’ fans seem to be reaching a point of PPV (and wallet) fatigue, in a world economy which sees the top-tier earners make out hand over fists, while everyone elses’ wages remain static.
Fight fans got a better sense of Canelo, and his foe, in the first installment of Showtime’s All Access documercial, which ran last week.
The redhead looks the part of the budding mogul, decked out in a crisp suit, and walking to a private jet. Right away, he sends a signal of how he wants to be seen. “The same as Mayweather or Pacquiao, only I choose the most dangerous opponents,” he says.
Bravo to that, I say. In a world where fighters are less and less seeking out the stiffest tests, but ceding control of foe choice to timid advisors, or choosing foes, with mobility limitations, or some other deficiency which plays into their hands, Canelo sees himself as an old school sort. He craves the toughest tests, and I dare say, if he keeps up that POV, his status as a next gen superstar will be safe.
He will be faced with a “smart and challenging boxer,” as Lara himself puts it. His hand speed, balance, accuracy and vision could indeed prove to be a too-tough challenge for Canelo, if the Mexican can’t put his power edge into effect. That power was in full effect when he put his hammers on Alfredo Angulo, in his last outing. That same Angulo who found and touched Lara, and sent him to the mat and put some licks on his which left lingering pain in their wake. This leads me to note that I do believe Canelo, a more advanced in the offense department boxer than Fredo, can too find Lara…but we shall see how that plays out…
We saw how Lara rushed the Canelo-Fredo postfight presser, and injected himself into the mix. “I just want to know when we’re going to do it,” he said, standing next to the Mexican at the mic, as then Golden Boy boss Richard Schaefer stared at his shoes.
“Are you guys dying to watch us fight?” Canelo asked the assembled, who reacted with mostly muteness. “Yes?” Not so much, he noted, at the time. I dare say the real-deal fight fans were, if not dying, then quite interested in seeing how this style match played out…and to the dismay of some close to him, Canelo demanded this fight be made. On the show, Canelo said Laras’ move bothered him, and it pushed him to take the bout.
Next, we see Oscar De La Hoya greeting Canelo, and both men working a press tour. In LA, Canelo says that Lara offended him on Twitter. (Note to fighters seeking a bout–use the Lara ‘annoy em till they agree to fight you method’…it can’t hurt.) Canelo tells us Oscar told him not to take this fight..and instead of listening, he took it as a challenge…and signed on. Props to him, I say.
Next, Lara checks in with his family; his wife is due a few days after the bout, for the record. We see him getting in Canelos’ face during a photo pos-off, and Canelos’ trainer Chepo Reynoso promises Canelo will “shut him up.”
Then, we see Canelo at chez Reynoso, chowing. Chepo and son Eddy have been the only trainers he’s ever known. “We feel like family,” the boxer notes.
The loss to Floyd Mayweather is spoken of. No, he won’t consider changing trainers, he says. “My decision is to have the same team,” he says.
Against Fredo, who knocked down Lara twice, Canelo was in a groove. Head, body, hooks, uppercuts, he was dialed in…We see clips from the impressive showing, which naysayers state came against a used up hitter. Chepo says that Canelo has moved on from the Floyd loss, and his mentality is quite strong.
Then, Lara tells us he has 30 pigeons, and that is his hobby. One pigeon he calls “Canelo.” He can identify with the birds, who exult when freed from a cage. In Cuba, child boxers trained like “soldiers,” he says. He tried in 2007 to leave his team in Brazil, and they failed. He was locked up for a week, back in Cuba. But he kept the dream alive. Trainer Ronnie Shields says that Lara tried again. With about 25 others, he got on a boat, and went through rough waters to make it out of Cuba. Too many ex boxers in Cuba just stand around and drink, he says, and he didn’t want to be that. “I didn’t come to this country to get things easily,” he states.
Next, we see Oscar visiting Canelo, labeled “his company’s most precious asset.” ODLH says they are friends and have a business relationship, and that they respect each other. Oscars’ woes are touched on; his rehab stint is mentioned. Canelo says that he can see the difference in Oscar. “We are happy and proud of him,” he says, and gets more points from me, for his loyalty. Oscar says he was depressed, and he went to rehab to fix “my mind and body, because it was broken.” He says he’s “ready to take this fight on like there’s no tomorrow.” He was speaking, I think, about re-taking the reins of his company from Richard Schaefer.
Chepo says the lefty Lara is tough and hungry, no pushover. Canelo says he knows Lara is fast, and a slick counter puncher. “We know he’s strong but he’s looking fast,” says Oscar, while watching a workout. Oscar says Canelo is “special” but Lara is “the real deal.”
Lara then gets a hair trim. He and his two boys chill and chat. The little one, 4, says he wants to grow up and be a pickpocket, and all giggle. The Cuban lives in Texas, because Shields lives there. They’ve been together for 4 years. He notes that Lara beat Austin Trout, in better fashion than Canelo did. “He broke Trout down, there was a mastery how he did it. But when he sits down, it’s like Mike Tyson hitting you,” he says. “I did it way better than Canelo,” Lara says. He says he’s a better boxer AND has more heart than Canelo. Fighting words!
Wife Eudy says Lara is a charmer, but not overly macho. They are expecting a baby girl, for the record. She says she panicked when the July 12 date was offered, because July 14 is her due date. They know he can’t turn down such a business opportunity, though.
To close, we hear a wrap up about the risk for Canelo, and about the immense reward for the victor. “Two men bound by honor, seeking glory,” we hear, from Barry Pepper, from text written by author Mark Kriegel, a new hire by Showtime, to try and get their documercial closer to HBO in terms of quality of writing.
Part II review coming shortly…
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
![Niyomtrong-Proves-a-Bridge-Too-Far-for-Alex-Winwood-in-Australia](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/knockout.png)
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
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Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
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The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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